(04-21) 15:52 PDT Los Angeles -- - Eons ago, when Harrison Barnes was an Iowa high school phenom and a North Carolina Tar Heel, he was likened to the mighty Jordan. The kid even got a nickname: The Black Falcon.

You don't drag that kind of high-falutin' nickname into the NBA unless you're a certified god. King James and the Black Mamba can name-drop their own nicknames without a trace of irony.

So when the Warriors call Barnes Black Falcon, it's in fun, not reverence. Really, a better fit for Barnes would be the Mystery Falcon, because you never know what kind of performance you'll get from him, or when he'll show up to save the day.

It's a superhero nickname, and based on Barnes' playoff performance last season and in Saturday's Game 1 win over the Clippers, he has a mysterious ability to raise his game when the heat is on.

After struggling much of the season, Barnes soared over the Clippers for 14 points and eight rebounds, and he starred in maybe the game's key sequence.

The Clippers led by one point with 1:49 left in regulation when L.A. guard Chris Paul went up for a jumper in transition. Barnes got a piece of the ball, which went to Klay Thompson, who pushed it back the other way, passing to Barnes behind the arc. With no hesitation Barnes drilled a three-pointer, his third of the game.

"I thought they made all the big (plays), they made the big shots," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said Sunday. "Harrison Barnes, in transition, to take the three ... and make it, was huge. ... That was a big play."

When I told Barnes that Rivers had singled out his shot, he seemed surprised.

"Oh, ah," Barnes stammered, "there were so many different plays that could have been the turning point." He named four other plays, none involving him, and said, "I don't think I could take credit for the key play."

The Mystery Falcon lets others sing his praises. Barnes, 21, is a low-key, modest fellow, which may be his problem, although I'm no psychologist.

People close to the team, and Barnes himself, have suggested that he thinks and worries too much. Bad games drive him to the gym for intense workouts, which lead to deeper disappointment if he doesn't see an instant positive return.

Barnes even said his huge three in Game 1 was made possible by the fact that the opportunity took him by surprise.

"Klay's pushing the ball and I'm running the court, and Steph (Curry), I mean Steph is wide open in the corner, he's wide open, so I'm like, 'OK, he's going to Steph,' and he passes it to me. It's one of those plays where I just caught it and shot it. I didn't look at the shot clock, I didn't (think about) what was going on, because had I done that, I probably would have missed it."

Barnes added: "Sometimes you overthink. In a situation like that ... (you should be thinking), 'What's the best thing to do?' Running up the court, down two, with a fresh 24 (shot clock), shooting a three in transition's probably not the best shot."

He was on autopilot in that moment, but clearly Barnes has analyzed the shot since. Some say that kind of thinking is a reason he hasn't lived up to his No. 7 overall draft status, averaging 9.2 points and 4.1 rebounds as a rookie, and 9.5 and 4.0 this season.

But in the playoffs? In last season's 12 for-real games, he averaged 16.1 points and 6.4 rebounds. He was a flying force.

Could it be that Barnes is that rare bird, the antichoker? Wake me up when the playoffs start, boys. If so, maybe that's because Barnes gets a clean slate every April.

"I had some pretty low points in the regular season," Barnes said, "so I know it can only get better, it couldn't get any worse. I think that's where I have a lot of confidence."

Think of that: Confidence born of despair that you can't sink any lower. I asked Barnes if he gets down on himself.

"Not necessarily down," he said. "Obviously, you want to do better. I put a lot of work in on my game, so when you're not seeing it night in and night out, you're not making shots, two bad games going to three, going to five, going to 10, it's rough to stick with it. But you know eventually you're going to get up."